My research interests are interdisciplinary and focus on avian ecology and paleoecology, especially on the fossil record of birds in the Plio/Pleistocene and the evolution and extinction of birds in relation to climate change. For the past 15 years I have been studying the paleoecology of penguins in Antarctica with excavations of abandoned penguin colonies to recover bones and prey remains. These remains are providing information on the occupation history and diet of penguins that can be correlated with past population movements and episodes of climate change in this region. Most recently, this research has been expanded to investigate carbon and oxygen isotope records preserved in penguin eggshell from fossil and recent penguin colonies.

I also study living seabirds and other coastal species. Initial research concentrated on the foraging ecology of Royal Terns that breed along the coast of North Carolina. This research has resulted in four Master's theses and four publications. In addition, I have one Ph.D. student who is investigating the foraging ecology and diving behavior of tropical boobies in Peru and the Galapagos Islands in collaboration with Dr. David Anderson (Wake Forest Univ.). Most recently, I have initiated research on the winter ecology of three species of coastal sparrows, Nelson's and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows and Seaside Sparrow, that co-inhabit the salt marshes here in winter. This study involves regular banding of these birds at three marsh sites and the collection of feathers and blood for stable isotope analysis. New students in my lab will become involved in these or other applicable projects. Projects completed or ongoing with previous and current graduate students, respectively, can be found at: http://people.uncw.edu/emslies/.

Emslie, S. D. and C. Guerra Correa. 2003. A new species of penguin (Speniscidae: Spheniscus) and other birds from the late Miocene/early Pliocene of Chile. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 116: 308-316.